Ely City 1 CRC 4
The team responded to our disappointing display on Saturday with a committed and hard working performance. The game should have been a lot more comfortable but we failed to capitalise on numerous opportunities in the first half and gave the home side a lifeline with a basic error. It was not until our third goal with a quarter of an hour remaining that we could feel the three points were safe.
The ease at which we penetrated the home defence was a mixture of poor decision making by their back line, playing too high against the pace of JP, and intelligent forward runs and passing by our players. We didn't create enough clear cut chances for the number of occasions that we were wrong side of their full backs and when we did, a combination of the pitch and the home keeper contributed towards some errant finishing.
We did manage to get off to a dream start though. Luke Berry pounced on a loose ball inside their box and pivoted to volley the ball into the far bottom corner after just 3 minutes. With JP causing havoc down the left and Joe Bennett looking almost as dangerous on our right flank, Maz was more subdued than of late. He was still the fulcrum of our attack though and showed his predatory instinct for our second goal.
JP outstripped their right back for the umpteenth time and pulled the ball back for the onrushing Jack Bailey. His strike rebounded off the inside of the post, Joe Bennett did well to react and his shot was diverted into the net by an instructive finish from Maz.As already stated, the game should then have been put to bed.
JP was twice denied by Pacey's legs and too many crosses to mention failed to be converted, mostly due to undisciplined runs into the box. We work so much on this attention to detail that it is frustrating when the players do not apply themselves to transfer information and practice on the training pitch into a match scenario. The small details make a big difference and this was clearly demonstrated when an error on the edge of our box allowed the home side to halve our advantage. At half time we were a goal ahead when we all thought we should have been four or five goals to the good.
We lost our way a little at the start of the second half and allowed proceedings to become scrappy. It was difficult to handle Ely's route one approach in the opening 45 minutes with the wind at their backs as they could get us on the back foot simply with a long clearance. The goalkeeper hit every kick and dead ball down our throats and its hard work to deal with this constant barrage.
After the break though, with this threat reduced if not eliminated, we failed to get the ball down and got sucked into an aerial contest. With Ely trying to press the ball and deny us space in midfield, we should have over hit more diagonal passes to turn them round and push them onto the back foot before imposing our football. In failing to hit good areas with our clearances and forward passes, we allowed Ely to keep pressing and the game resembled a tennis match with the half way line, or our midfield, the net! We must learn how to impose our game on the opposition in these circumstances.
The key moment was always going to revolve around who scored the fourth goal of the game and thankfully it came courtesy of yet another rehearsed free kick. This one is a new addition to the repertoire, so it was particularly pleasing.Jack Eades, Daz Coakley and Liam Hughes all executed their parts perfectly, leaving the latter to nod home at the far post. Maz should have doubled his tally but shot uncharacteristically wide with his left foot at the end of our best move of the half before JP struck our fourth with a shot that did too much in the air and deceived Pacey in the Ely goal.
This was a good night's work but with lots of detail to improve on and a poor period of play in the second half which we survived without ever looking like conceding. Sometimes the ability to tough out a result and show resilience is just as important as the matches where we play free flowing football. With so many goals of late, we haven't needed to show these qualities for several weeks and it was lacking on Saturday.
Having watched the DVD, the two goals conceded against Dereham looked even worse! The first we could trace 5 individual errors in the build up and the second goal there were three players who compounded the original mistake. This analysis is a fantastic learning aid for the players but a dogged attitude and strong mentality are qualities required but impossible to coach.It is only through developing the character of the players as well as the technical, physical and tactical facets of their game, that it can be achieved.
A special mention for Blaine Hudson in this respect, who started to show the signs of leadership that we are always demanding and really led the team well in the second half. He also demonstrated the presence and composure that mark him out as another exciting talent that should be knocking on the first team door in the not too distant future.
Team:
Walker, Thorpe, Coakley, Carr, Hudson, Hughes, Bennett (Eades 70), Berry, Bailey, Marriott, Patrick.
Jez George
